Michael Hughes is adamant Northern Ireland should not be written off ahead of their latest World Cup qualifying campaign.

Lawrie Sanchez's side line up in an intriguing group which includes England and Wales and, with Austria and Poland also in the mix, the Irish would again appear to have their work cut out.

Northern Ireland last reached the finals of a major competition back in 1986, and Germany in two years' time would seem to be a long way off.

Sanchez starts with a Belfast clash against the Poles early next month, followed by a trip to Cardiff's Millennium Stadium a few days later when they take on Mark Hughes' Wales.

Austria, and another of the group minnows in Azerbaijan, are then next up in October before a break until March and the enthralling prospect of England at Old Trafford.

Under Sanchez, Northern Ireland are seemingly a different proposition these days and go into a warm-up friendly against Switzerland in Zurich tomorrow on the back of an unbeaten five-match run, their best record for a staggering 16 years.

Crystal Palace midfielder Hughes believes when the qualifiers begin in earnest, the `local rivalry' with England and Wales could throw the group wide open.

"The games are going to be blinding, and the interest it will create for the people back home will be fantastic," said Hughes.

"We've not played England and Wales for a long time, since the old home internationals, and admittedly it's going to be difficult.

"I just hope we can be there or thereabouts, get some decent results, get ourselves going to give ourselves a chance and create more interest.

"It's a golden opportunity for us all and obviously we will be underdogs again because the other sides are higher up the rankings than ourselves, but there's an edge to the games with England and Wales.

"No matter how you want to look at it - and it shouldn't happen because we are all professionals - but we are going to be up for England that little more than if we were playing someone like the Czech Republic.

"Both teams are on a par, but with England there's that extra spice, so once we go into these games who knows what can happen. I'm not saying we are going to beat them, but we'll give it our all."